The governor said National Guard troops have been sent to Princeville with high-water vehicles to ensure no one loots stores or steals from vacant homes

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Floodwaters associated with Hurricane Matthew surround homes and a church sign Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, in Lumberton, North Carolina. Gov. Pat McCrory said Thursday the number of power outages was down to about 55,000, from a high of nearly 900,000 when the storm hit last week.

In North Carolina, where flooding along rivers has eased enough for some residents to start returning to their homes, the governor has pledged help rebuild one of the hard-hit historic towns.

Gov. Pat McCrory on Thursday made an aerial tour of Princeville, one of the country's oldest towns charted by African-Americans.

"I want to let them know we will be with you, and we'll do everything we can to help you rebuild this city," McCrory said. "And also, steps need to be taken where this won't happen again in the future."

McCrory said the flooding may be worse than what's occurring to the south in Lumberton.

Floyd roared ashore on Sept. 15, 1999, not long after another hurricane saturated the state. Two days later, the rising Tar River engulfed Princeville in water 20 feet deep near the town hall.

Princeville's history as one of the country's first towns created by freed slaves in 1865 helped boost a rebuilding effort. The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave $26 million to Princeville's residents and another $1.5 million to the town.